Episode 2 Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels

'We're the Hairy Bikers and we made our name by cooking real food for real people.'

You're nibbling on it already!

'We're riding to the rescue of one of our national culinary treasures, Meals On Wheels.'

-Hello.

-Hello!

'Hot tasty food delivered with a smile and a chat'

to our older people, to keep them healthy, happy and independent.

A nice bit of egg and some nice new bread and butter, you've got a feast for a king.

'Since it began in World War II, this great British institution has never been a unified service.

'At its height, it delivered more than 34 million meals every year.'

We assume it's going to be there

for our grandparents, for our parents and us.

But will it?

'Over the last eight years,

'the number of meals delivered has plummeted by over a third.'

I don't know what I'm going to do. No Meals On Wheels in this town.

Reviving it is very close to our hearts.

From the age of eight, I cooked for my poorly mum.

We had to care about what we fed her. Food was very important.

Me and my family rallied round when my mum was too ill to feed herself.

That little bit of kindness through food means a massive amount.

'We want to pioneer a shiny new service that truly delivers what our Grans and Granddads deserve.'

Shepherds pie as it should be. ALL CHEER

'And we'll stop at nothing to rally support.'

SCREAMS

'From the man in the street to royalty.'

-What would everybody do without the volunteers?

-The more the merrier.

'We need to enlist an army of Meals On Wheels recruits.'

Sign up! Feed the elderly!

'And bring back great fresh food.'

If we can't deliver Meals On Wheels once a week for the rest of our lives, it'll be a poor do.

'We aim to transform Meals On Wheels into a lean mean catering machine

'to roll out across 21st-century Britain.'

We don't want to be blokes who've done something for the telly, walked away and it falls apart.

'Last time, we rode to the rescue of a council, Elmbridge in Surrey,

'kick-starting a volunteer drive to help keep Meals On Wheels afloat.'

We've got to do better than this.

Meals On Wheels?

Just like...fast food? I obviously don't know.

'And realised the service has an image problem.'

I thought Meals On Wheels is more like kebab vans, really.

'We set about transforming food from frozen to fresh.'

F-R-E-S-H. Fresh!

-'Turning it from a has-been...'

-It looks like cardboard.

-'..into a culinary hero.'

-It was delicious.

-I ate all of it.

-Ten out of ten.

'Tonight, we're transforming Meals On Wheels' 1940s image

'and giving it a 21st-century makeover.'

-Can Saatchi X do better?

-I can assure you of that!

'The kitchen is struggling to cope with the extra workload.'

This is new to us, this prep. I am having quite a few sleepless nights.

'And we're trying to solve one of the biggest problems facing Meals On Wheels today...'

We desperately need more volunteers.

If we had no volunteers, the service would have to stop.

'..volunteer vacancies.'

It's a nightmare this, like.

'For three weeks, we've been working at one of Elmbridge Council's

'six Meals On Wheels centres,

'transforming the way the kitchen works,

'ditching the frozen ingredients

'and bringing delicious fresh meals to the old folk of Elmbridge.'

They were genuinely impressed with that meal today.

They noticed there was fresh veg and they loved it.

We've done it, girl, we've done it!

Lesley cannot say nowt cos she's crying!

'It was brilliant, but there's still a long way to go.'

We've been asked to go to a meeting by the senior management

of the Moseley Centre here.

-The phrase "summoned" comes to mind.

-Yes.

-Better get on with it.

-Yes.

'We think we're doing a pretty good job,

'but this meeting sounds ominous.'

So, how are we doing?

Are we all right?

'Jane is in charge of the centre we're working at. Kim is her boss.'

Food's going down well.

-Mm, yeah, it's going down well.

-Hold on. It's going down well.

-It is. Yeah.

-What's your reservations?

Well, we've got, not quite a few, we've got a few.

We knew it would be hard work for the two cooks.

-We didn't think about the catering assistant, how much washing up...

-There's a lot more prep as well.

A lot more prep as well.

Just to distill it down, what's the bottom line?

-If we could do it within budget...

-Yeah.

-..and on time...

-You've been very clear about that, Kim.

..We would be happy, but we need extra volunteers for this to be a success.

-Right.

-So no matter what we do with the food, if we don't get volunteers we're on a non-starter.

-You are.

-Afraid so.

Fair enough.

Right.

'In recent years, volunteer numbers in Elmbridge have dropped by a third.

'By ditching convenient pre-prepared foods, we've made matters worse.'

It's a nightmare this, like.

-I knew we could sort the food out.

-Yeah.

But you know, there is a feeling

we've bitten off an awful lot more than we can chew.

'To keep Elmbridge's Meals On Wheels on track,

'we'll have to inspire a whole new generation of volunteers to help.'

'To get to grips with the problem of volunteer vacancies,

'we're putting the whole service under the microscope.

'In the kitchen, the gang are doing our new fresh recipes proud.'

"Sugar and herbs."

'They've always relied on unpaid helpers like Gladys to wash up.

'Our new fresh menus mean they're now prepping food, too.'

If it wasn't for us coming in to help them out,

they'd have to do this theirselves.

Yes! Fish that has swam!

'The food's looking and smelling delicious,

'but with up to 50 meals to prepare, it's a strain on the kitchen.'

How's the cooking fresh going?

-Yesterday was a bit hectic. We didn't get a break.

-Right.

-Is it the preparation?

-Yes. We didn't have any volunteers in.

I think, if we can get some volunteers, it will be a bit easier.

'All the recipes we've given the kitchen

'offer delicious honest dishes delivered on a strict budget.

'As wonderful as they taste, I'm not sure whether it's enough to keep them on the menu.'

The enthusiasm and fresh food's there. I don't think that'll last without extra pairs of hands.

They'll never be able to stick it.

'The need for recruits in the kitchen is the tip of the iceberg.

'The biggest threat is volunteer vacancies amongst delivery drivers.

'It's a problem facing Meals On Wheels services nationwide, not just here in Elmbridge.'

-Hello, Gracie.

-How are you?

-Lovely to see you. Hi, Si.

-Hello, gorgeous.

'Elmbridge relies on a devoted army of volunteers.

'Last year, their time was worth nearly £300,000.'

-Who are we seeing today?

-We're doing Mrs Armstrong...

'Grace has been dishing out meals for 25 years.

'If anyone knows the problems they face, it's her.'

I feel like a Labrador here, Grace!

More like a St Bernard, if you ask me!

'At 77 years old, Grace is typical of Elmbridge's doughty volunteers,

'80% of whom are over retirement age.'

Do you think we need more young volunteers?

We need volunteers, whatever, but young volunteers, yes.

-People that can put in the time that I've put in.

-Yeah.

We are pretty ancient, older than a lot of people we deliver meals to.

-Yeah.

-We need young people.

-But how to get them...

-Right.

-..I'm afraid, rather defeats us.

'Meals On Wheels survives on volunteers.

'Every vacancy puts the service in doubt.'

-Hello, Mr Thompson.

-Hello, lovely to see you.

You've got a special meal today.

Beautiful home-made fishcakes with a salad salsa.

I haven't had a fishcake for years!

The crumble's home-made as well. Good old English bramleys, yeah.

-Lovely.

-So you'll love it.

'This is what it's all about, what my dad and I did for my mum.

'Delicious healthy meals and a bit of banter.

'It's what Grace and the Elmbridge team are doing - really making a difference to people's lives.'

-How have you been enjoying the new food?

-I've enjoyed it very much.

This is today's meal, which is delicious.

-Lovely fishcakes.

-They look nice.

-They're special because we've got a salsa with them.

-Oh.

That's going to spice them up!

-LAUGHTER

-We hope you enjoy them.

I'm sure I shall.

-Right, we'll let you eat your food before it gets cold.

-Yes, we will.

-I'll enjoy my fishcakes.

-Yes, and we'll see you again, Marjorie.

'According to Age UK, a million older people in Britain describe themselves as lonely.'

-It's not just delivering a meal. It's a social service.

-Yeah.

It means a lot. It's VERY important.

It's trying to make people understand

-that what you give as a volunteer, you get ten-fold back.

-Yes.

I get a great deal out of it. That's why I've been doing it for 25 years.

'Grace and her generation were around when Meals On Wheels began.

'Without new recruits, this lifeline could be a thing of the past.

'Since Meals On Wheels started, the biggest change has been the food.

'There's been a gradual drift from freshly prepared meals

'to frozen convenience foods.

'But what hasn't changed much is its image.'

It doesn't seem to be appealing to the young population.

If there was an advertisement out there

that really showed what it could do, I'd be up for it.

I wouldn't say that many people my age knew about it.

It's not really advertised enough.

'Meals On Wheels has dropped off people's radars.

'It needs a makeover to change its dowdy image and get people to care about it again.

'In today's world, a strong brand identity is vital.

'We're asking some of the world's most creative marketing brains to volunteer their time

'to come up with a logo to grab people's attention

'and give Meals On Wheels a 21st-century appeal.'

One of our problems is people don't know the Meals On Wheels service.

They don't know what it is and they don't know it's under threat.

There's an expectation that Meals On Wheels is there for everybody.

It's not a particularly attractive thing to talk about.

Nobody cares until you come to the point where you think, "I might need this service."

We need volunteers because if we don't get those volunteers

everything that we've done so far goes in the bin.

So we're kind of... We're up against it.

It's a big task.

'Meals On Wheels has never been a unified service,

'with councils, charities and private companies all doing their own thing.

'Since it was created 60 years ago, it's never had a cohesive identity.

'Time to show the team how the council at Elmbridge try to hook in volunteers.'

Every time I get this out makes us depressed.

It doesn't really say, "Hello. Want to join?"

Many of the volunteers are older than the clients,

and that's a situation that can't go on, really.

That's where you're starting from. That's the reality.

So, can Saatchi X do better?

I can assure you of that! LAUGHTER

'When it comes to attracting volunteers,

'something like this doesn't cut it any more.'

I'm starting to understand the scale of the issue.

What is the legacy that you're hoping to leave?

If we can make Elmbridge a jewel in the crown,

maybe we can actually open and go back to what we had,

the fact that you'll be fed when you're old.

-What's our ideal target audience for the volunteers?

-It's broad.

At the moment, it's associated with blue rinse ladies in a little van.

We would love to bring younger people into it.

To make it cool to want to get involved?

Also, it is fun. It doesn't all smell of cabbage and biscuits.

It can be a bloody good laugh.

-It is a two-way street.

-They get something out of it.

Every single volunteer we've spoken to says you get far more out than you put in.

-What do you think?

-To be honest, we work on big global campaigns for multinational companies.

But I can't see any creative agency who wouldn't want to work

-on such an incredible initiative.

-Thank you.

-Fantastic. Great news.

Really, really, really successful. They're all fired up for it.

Way better than I ever imagined.

Yeah. I think we managed to seduce them.

They're very positive about the project as well.

They honestly believe that they see it as their chance to volunteer

and to do what they're good at.

It's about giving it a voice and being able to shout about it.

This will give Meals On Wheels a chance to shout, not just in Elmbridge, but maybe nationally.

What we do now sows the seeds for the future. I honestly believe that.

Come on!

'Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes, and it's a coup for us

'getting the Saatchi X creatives to volunteer their marketing nous.'

It's good to rebrand Meals On Wheels, a British icon,

a name that everyone's heard of.

It's great to get something out that may make a difference.

If it's a young funky look, young funky people will get involved.

I believe that a younger generation that are concerned about college fees and the environment,

if they knew what was happening to their grandparents,

they would not put up with this.

'A new modern image is essential for Meals On Wheels,

'to remind people it's still around doing brilliant work.'

We have an ageing population and we have a mammoth time bomb

about to explode in terms of the age profile, people without pensions,

people in housing problems.

If we don't sort Meals On Wheels out now,

it's going to come to us in a bigger, nastier problem to solve.

'While the creative types do their thing, we've got work to do in Elmbridge.

'They're crying out for help across the board.

'Our next mission is to tackle the volunteer crisis in the kitchen.'

Kitchen volunteers don't come easy.

'To do it, we're thinking strategically.

'What better place to recruit new kitchen volunteers than a catering college?

'But we're using stealth tactics.'

We've got a little competition

for this college, this class, to design a Meals On Wheels dinner.

What we're hoping,

they'll get sucked into the process, get to love Meals On Wheels,

then we hit them with the sting that we'd like them to volunteer.

Your two hours start...

Now.

'The challenge is to devise a two-course lunch for the super-tight

'£1.25 Meals On Wheels budget.'

What I love is, look at their faces.

-They absolutely 100% care.

-That's nice.

-You know who the winners of this competition are going to be?

-No.

-Us.

If we could get these young people working in the kitchen,

they'd bring so much enthusiasm, so much skill.

-They would make it sustainable.

-That's very important.

-Oh, yeah.

It all comes off the rails if we don't get this sorted.

'The students have got passion for cooking. What do they know about Meals On Wheels?'

No-one I know has used Meals On Wheels.

I mean... I don't know much about it.

I thought Meals On Wheels was kebab vans, if I'm honest.

'This isn't as easy as we thought.

'Our strategy is to use their love of food to get them thinking about the issues.'

What are you serving with the marrow shepherd's pies?

With the mashed piped on top, that'll basically be the dish.

-It's got the veg in there.

-That's a great idea.

-You've thought out of the box a bit. Brilliant. Well done.

-Thank you.

This is my tiramisu mix. I've got a steamed bacon pudding in the oven.

I'm just trundling along and nearly done.

That's good!

It's good comfort food, something that the elderly may enjoy.

-What you doing?

-A liver hotpot. Liver's a really cheap cut.

-It's got all the goodness in it.

-You don't just cook, do you?

-No, I sing as well.

-You could give them a rendition.

-A bit of Italian, a bit of German.

-I'm a classical singer.

-Go on. Do us a bit.

SINGS EXCERPT FROM ITALIAN OPERA

Dude, that's fantastic!

I think they're handling this challenge really, really well.

It's very impressive. Some of the ideas are very original.

Let's be straight about it. Some of the ideas are better than ours! They're brilliant!

'They're engaged, but is the volunteering message getting through?'

I'm just thinking how I'd love to go and cook for the Meals On Wheels.

-Ooh!

-It'd be amazing.

I didn't think that people would think it such a little thing

to give food to people who can't get it.

I thought it would be more important to the councils instead of letting it slide.

I didn't really know you could volunteer.

If I could volunteer, I'd get to practise the things I'll use as a chef,

help others and get a good meal to the people that need it.

-I think we've got our volunteers. If the college are up for it, we're laughing.

-Yeah. Get in!

-Ah, mate!

-They look so good.

-Happy days!

'The real success is getting new recruits.'

It's not too sweet.

'Now we're choosing the winning student whose dish will go on the Meals On Wheels menu.'

Very, very interesting. Very, very high standard.

But we've decided

the dish that goes to the Meals On Wheels kitchen

will be...

David Meredith with his steamed bacon pudding and tiramisu.

-Well done. Congratulations.

-APPLAUSE

Today has been a great way to get young people involved in volunteer work.

To be able to cook this for the elderly now, I'm going to love the feeling.

Well done, David.

I'd love to run this competition as an annual event.

'It's really generated lots of enthusiasm.'

From September, I plan to build this into the curriculum programme.

'Each year they'll run a competition to generate new volunteers

'and ensure that at least 20 students do work placements

'in Meals On Wheels kitchens across Elmbridge.'

-See ya later.

-Thank you.

'What a great bunch!

'If you market volunteering in the right way, young people respond brilliantly.'

-Come on, man!

-Yes!

'Targeting young catering students to get volunteers worked a treat.

'We need to spread the word that Meals On Wheels needs delivery drivers.

'Using imaginative ways to capture people's attention is clearly the way forward.

'We've hit on the plan of putting inspirational messages inside fortune cookies.

'Grace offered to help cook them.'

-Anything where you give somebody something to eat is going to work.

-Yes.

You lift that up. Lovely!

This is the secret. Put your message in.

Put that on a cup. Bend it round.

-There you have...

-An excellent little cookie.

'Armed with our inspiring fortune cookies,

'we need folk with time on their hands.

'What better place than a golf course?'

-Have you ever ridden a golf buggy?

-Yeah, loads.

-Well...

-You're lying.

-The milk float ones.

We'll see you in a bit.

Hello. That's a friendly face.

Have a fortune cookie. We've made them.

Have a fortune cookie with a very important message.

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

Very profound.

"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something."

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Be prepared!

LAUGHTER

We're trying to get volunteers for Meals On Wheels.

Two hours a fortnight, to either help in the kitchen or deliver to the old folks.

We need more volunteers. Would you consider volunteering?

I'd certainly think of doing it. You know you've got free time.

You're retired and you think, "I must do some voluntary work."

But somebody coming and suggesting it and being so enthusiastic,

it makes you think, "Yeah!"

We need volunteers for deliveries. Then we need people in the kitchen.

-It's absolutely...

-I'm very happy to help in the kitchen.

-Yes?

That makes my husband happy because he doesn't have to spend time with me!

Oh! Surely not! You're a lovely lady!

I happen to be the captain of the Stags, our old golfers.

-Right.

-I'll try and promote it.

-Have another fortune cookie.

I'll see if I can work this around my working day.

If I knew that they only needed two hours of my time

on a Tuesday and a Thursday,

well, that's easy to organise.

'It's clear that people don't know Meals On Wheels needs help

'or how to go about volunteering.'

You get local enthusiasm from people like me, I suppose,

who push it amongst the 20 or 30 people that I play golf with every week.

If you roll that out among all the local golf clubs,

then I think...I think thousands would help, I really do.

-That was a very nice cookie.

-Thank you.

'Our efforts to get volunteers are starting to pay off.

'We're going to need a lot more recruits to keep Elmbridge's Meals On Wheels safe for the future.'

Hello, mate. Welcome to Elmbridge.

'Today, budding chef David, who won the competition, is doing his volunteering stint in the kitchen.'

I'm nervous but I'm very excited. It's going to be a good day.

'Will he give them an injection of youthful enthusiasm?

'And will his menu of steamed bacon suet pudding and tiramisu prove a winner?'

-Is that diced fine enough?

-That's OK.

I'm just going to process them.

For the gravy, you need half of them sliced.

-Self-raising, chef?

-Yeah.

27 tablespoons of dried herbs, mixed, various.

It should be teaspoons.

27 tablespoons is a bit excessive in anybody's language.

'David's already proving his worth. It's great to see his energy.'

You could do the coffee. That's got to cool down. If you make the coffee with the granules.

'He's working well with Lesley and veteran volunteer Gladys.'

Start with tiramisu.

-Whip up the cream with mascarpone and the sugar.

-Will do, chef!

Cooking with the Hairy Bikers is near a dream come true for me!

'With David's extra pair of hands the prep work is going like a dream.

'But new volunteers and recipes can cause problems.

'Instead of steaming the suet puddings, we're having to cook them in a microwave to save time.'

-Is that enough space?

-Um, yeah...

-You reckon?

-There's give in that.

'Each one should take just three minutes,

'plenty of time to get them cooked before the delivery volunteers arrive - but there's a hitch.'

It's not cooked! No.

It's not cooked.

It's still a bit gooey inside.

Won't take much more, but...

'The microwave is not as powerful as we thought.

'We have to zap them for ten minutes.

'With nine puddings, we haven't got enough time before they need delivering.'

I'm worried about timing, with the puddings taking longer than we thought.

'Where there's a will there's a way.

'As David gets on with the tiramisu, I'm roping in a local cafe to help.

'Puds, safely covered.'

There's a caff round the corner so, get on me feet,

four down here, it'll take the pressure off service.

'Needs must in desperate times.'

Hello!

See how we go. Right.

Four minutes is a long time when you're on your own.

'What must it be like being alone for a whole day, day after day?

'That's what many more old folk face if we can't save Meals On Wheels.'

-Just wait for that ding.

-DING

That's better.

What you here as? The Marathon Man?

Another pudding, please.

-Hello.

-There's a hairy biker behind you!

Hello, darling.

Oh, dude! Look at that!

'Before David's new menu was whisked away,

'time to find out if Gladys approves.'

Melts in the mouth, don't it? That is gorgeous.

'The tiramisu has the seal of approval

'from one of Elmbridge's longest serving volunteers.

'What does David really think about his first volunteering shift?'

It helps people and gives you a good feeling.

My family's recipe, which has been passed from generation to generation

has gone out to 40 people.

They'll be very proud.

'Now for the most important test. Do the older folk like David's dishes?'

That does look very nice. I'd like to try it.

I'd like to see this on the menu again. Very, very nice.

Very nice.

-Pretty good. Ten out of ten.

-I'd give a ten for this.

-I think so.

'It's a great start. With the help of David and the students,

'we've got a chance of making sure the borough's older folk

'continue getting delicious fresh food.

'Our mission to revitalise Meals On Wheels in Elmbridge

'has been in full swing for nearly a month.

'Our efforts have thrown up three gardeners.

'We've come up with a plan to utilise their talents.'

I think we need sage, rosemary, chives, mint, thyme and parsley.

'To help keep the menus fresh, interesting and on budget, we're building a herb garden.

'Plants sorted, back at base, professional gardener Rafie

'is volunteering his expertise.'

That's already done. The lower level, yes.

'23-year-old Grant and local postie Matt are supplying the muscle.

'Grant has more reason than most to volunteer.

'He's been unemployed for three years and he's desperate to turn his life around.'

I thought volunteering would be something great to put on my CV.

Out of work and hoping,

as well as getting something out of it, also I can get a job out of it.

'A few days later, we're back to see if our volunteers have done us proud.'

-My word!

-Excellent!

-I can't believe that!

-It's magic! One could say it's totally mint!

It will make a huge difference to the quality of food.

We've given them a palette of flavours

which they can use with something nearing abandonment to make the food tastier and fresher.

'The herbs bedded in, it's time to put them to good use.'

A bit of dill. Not too much, mind. Some fennel.

'We've also got a new fresh face for the kitchen,

-'singing chef Mike.'

-You're well turned out!

'Mike's another student we recruited at the catering college.'

-Do you think it's going to work, students coming in to help on a rota basis?

-Definitely.

It's doing what we're training to do

and helping your local community - what more could you ask for?

'Today's main course is haddock...'

It's the most beautiful fish, isn't it?

'..with a crust of chives, dill, fennel, butter and breadcrumbs.

'And for maximum herby flavour, bay leaves in the rice pudding!'

You get herbs in everything!

The smell in the kitchen! Real cooking! Proud of this one.

'The great news is, it's all coming in on budget, too.'

I've got to make sure it goes out on time and it all looks the same.

'By transforming the food from frozen to fresh, long tea breaks are out of the window.

'But with Mike doing a great job on prep duty...

'..Gladys and I are having a sneaky sit-down.'

-Lesley, is it all right in there?

-It is. Yes.

And I see you've managed to get out for a cuppa!

It's what you call executive cheffing, isn't it, Glad?

We're having five minutes together.

It's all going very well today. We got the rice puddings on early.

The fish is ready to go in. It only takes ten minutes. Taters are done.

Peas are done.

-That looks gorgeous.

-It does. I'm really pleased.

'It's not just the kitchen where our efforts to solve volunteer vacancies are having an impact.

'Sarah, a young mum of two, has come forward to help with deliveries.'

-Thanks for coming.

-An absolute pleasure.

-How are you?

-I'm fine.

-How's the tiddler?

'She's nervous about volunteering because of childcare commitments.'

-It's great you've got the spirit to volunteer.

-Thank you.

Like I said, I am really busy so I'm not sure how much time I can give,

and I don't know how much time you're looking for.

'Freelancer Julie, who feels isolated, is hoping volunteering will give her a sense of purpose.'

I'm based from home,

so that was an even better excuse to make an effort and do something in the community.

Because when you're not busy, I'm the kind of person

who needs to have some social contact and something to aim for.

'All new volunteers need a Criminal Records Bureau check or CRB.'

-You keep that inside?

-Yes.

'Then senior delivery volunteer Lesley takes them out on their first rounds.'

Today, we have cod fishcakes with sweetcorn, peas and mashed potato.

They have been a godsend.

Oh, good.

I'll pop your milk in the fridge. Thank you very much.

-Lots of servants waiting on you!

-I know! It's fantastic, isn't it?

'This service is fantastic.'

One gentleman we saw today said it was a life-saver for him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't eat a hot meal. It's such a good thing to do.

Hello, Mr Philips.

'Something like this is really flexible.'

I can do it before I get Ollie and Josh from school.

-Would you like me to get anything else out?

-No, it's all right, dear.

-Enjoy.

-Yes, all right, love. Nice to see you.

-And you. Take care.

'A great start for our two new volunteers,

'and we're thrilled that Grant, a hero of the herb garden, has caught the volunteering bug.'

BELL RINGS

-Hello.

-How are you? Where would you like your lunch?

Carry on. Straight ahead. Around the corner.

This is Grant. This is his first day of doing Meals On Wheels.

You have some lovely crispy fishcakes.

'Since being unemployed, Grant's confidence hit rock bottom.

'He's hoping hoping volunteering will help boost his self-esteem.'

It's a lot of self-achievement. You feel good helping out others.

'We're making progress in Elmbridge, but to make a real impact nationwide

'it's vital we get a powerful brand identity and get Meals On Wheels noticed again.

'The hip creatives from Saatchi X are presenting their designs for branding-up Meals On Wheels.'

I'm really, really excited. This could be a turning point.

It could be the identity that we've been looking for to give it a push.

'To get the service noticed in the modern world, it's vital we ditch

'Meals On Wheels' moth-eaten image and drag it into this century.'

-You worried?

-Yeah, I am nervous. I don't know why I am.

Get your carcass in there.

'We want a brand that's fresh, arresting and powerful.

'It needs mass appeal, so we pulled together a focus group

'of staff, volunteers and recipients to get their input.'

This is our first logo. >

It's simple, bold, fresh colours, evoking fresh food.

This little bite makes it a bit more friendly, bit more fun,

and brings it back to the food.

The point of this, "Deliver A Difference",

"difference" is the key aspect.

We know it's not simply about knocking on someone's door and delivering a meal.

-Second idea...

-Oh, wow!

First of all, you maybe see a pot.

You could argue you see the front of a van delivering food.

This one is a very contemporary, modern take on the logo.

These two arches, as well as being the M,

one represents the volunteer, one the recipient.

For me, the green one looks too much like a supermarket delivery van,

a corporate organisation that's doing something similar.

That's a little bit confusing.

I thought that it looks local government.

As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought of a refuse bin, and I...

-LAUGHTER

-Yes!

Now you mention it, Mr Philips, you know!

MR PHILIPS: But I quite like that one, apart from the handles.

I know you say it looks like a dustbin, but I like that.

I like "Deliver a difference" because that is exactly what we do.

-You just caught it there.

-I like that colour blue.

I think it looks really clean.

It's crisp.

-"Deliver a difference" is great.

-I totally agree.

"Deliver a difference", which talks about volunteers,

put with that logo, you have got the food,

the delivery, making a difference to the recipient and the volunteer.

-It does all of it, I think.

-Fantastic. Thank you very much.

If you give something a brand, you're instantly giving people a sense of belonging.

Can we have a big round of applause for the team?

-"Deliver a difference" said it.

-I loved "Deliver a difference".

'There are two firm favourites - the modern blue pot logo,

'and the emotive "Deliver a difference" tag line.'

There's clear feedback. I think we can get the designers to crack on.

'As the creatives fine-tune the design, Dave and I need to put our heads together.

'To safeguard Elmbridge Meals On Wheels, we still need to recruit a shedload more volunteers.

'Time for a pie, a pint and, hopefully, some inspiration.'

We've got to think of a way to raise the profile in one quick hit.

It's got to be localised...

You know.

What about making something massive?

Feeding loads of folk out of something massive?

-What? A ginormous shepherd's pie?

-Exactly!

Shepherd's pie for the masses!

Feed the world.

I feel like Bob Geldof.

'A few drinks later and there's a plan in place.

'We're convinced the way to Elmbridge's volunteering heart is through its stomach.

'We're going to make the world's biggest Meals On Wheels. Probably.

'We need publicity, so with help from veteran volunteer 88-year-old Gloria, we're hitting the airwaves.'

-Joining us now are Si and Dave, the Hairy Bikers. Good afternoon.

-Good afternoon.

-Gloria is with them as well. Hi, Gloria.

-Hi.

You'll be here again in Surrey on Saturday week.

What are you doing, boys?

We are going to build the biggest Meals On Wheels in the world.

We have big fun day out for everybody.

The serious side of it is to encourage people to volunteer.

People don't know what Meals On Wheels is and what we need.

Don't think Meals On Wheels is fuddy duddy.

It's a right good laugh. The people involved are fantastic.

-Volunteers have been there for 30 years.

-How long have you been doing it, Gloria?

-For 33 years.

-What do you get out of it, Gloria?

-Satisfaction of helping people.

My own parents had strokes and I was so grateful.

I was working and I knew they would have a hot daily meal.

I felt I wanted to reciprocate.

Gloria, thank you. I said you wouldn't get many words in edgeways.

-No!

-Sorry, Glo! What can I say?

'Gloria's personal reasons for volunteering are a sharp reminder of why we're doing this.

'It's vital we make our event a success.

'We enlist extra help and hit the streets of Elmbridge.'

The world's biggest Meals On Wheels.

It's gonna be a big shepherd's pie and cake to feed 600 people.

Taste the food and maybe get involved in volunteering.

-Massive cake. Massive pie.

-Wow!

Come and see us. Brooklands College.

I'll put some on the counter.

'Grant is starting to get his confidence back

'and is really getting stuck in.'

A giant pie and a giant cake for the biggest Meals On Wheels.

That seems very good.

'I'm chatting to people,'

learning social skills that I don't think I ever have had.

'Our publicity push well under way, time to start tackling the food.

'Making a colossal shepherd's pie and gigantic cake to feed hundreds

'is no mean feat, so we're roping in the students to help.'

-That's going to be a big pie.

-They're going to be here a while!

When you get fed up of carrots, are you going to go on potatoes?

Somebody's got the bad job of onions!

-And there's our David.

-David boy!

-He of the bacon suet pudding.

'It's a mammoth task - 40 kilos of minced lamb,

'nine kilos of mashed potato, a greengrocer store of veg and herbs

'and a lot of cooking.

'The cake's got 150 eggs, 18 kilos of flour and three kilos of strawberry jam in it.'

Happy with that! Three down, 11 to go!

'It's a Herculean task of baking that's taking days to pull off.

'The pastry department are committed and working like troupers.'

ALL CHEER

'With the cooking in capable hands, we want to find out how volunteering

'is affecting the lives of our new recruits.

'First stop, Grant's.'

-How are you, man?

-I'm good. Good to see you.

'Apart from the odd job, Grant's been unemployed for three years, and it's knocked his self-esteem.'

Can you see any change in yourself? Dave and I have, that's for sure.

I can definitely see a change in me. My mum says it as well.

I'll come home and I'll tell her about my day,

rather than stomping off to my room and being miserable all the time.

Two things. I've definitely got a lot happier.

And definitely more confident. So, yeah.

Have you thought about why that is?

Cor! Er...

I think it's just the interaction with all these new people.

You come with a smile on your face and go out with a smile on your face

because you've made someone's day, being the only person they may actually see.

You should be really proud of yourself.

What you're doing makes a massive difference to people.

A massive difference to people. It's a lovely thing to do, man.

I know. I'd advise it to anyone, definitely.

-Hello!

-Hello, Celia.

'Has Grant's mum Celia noticed a difference in her son

'since he started delivering for Meals On Wheels?'

Dave and I have seen a huge change.

Unbelievable.

He's had so many rejections and things, especially lately.

He just comes back so more positive, just a different boy.

To hear him talk now to what he was a few weeks ago, it's...

-All people need's a little bit of encouragement!

-Absolutely. Yes.

-Just give stuff a go.

-It's giving both ways.

Time to go and get Josh from school.

'Mum-of-two Sarah was nervous about fitting volunteering into her busy life.'

I was a bit worried I was going to fail - but I haven't.

I thought it was really going to impact

on the daily life with the kids.

But it hasn't, and I'm really quite surprised at how easy it's been.

'Is freelancer Julia discovering the fulfillment she craved?'

For the small amount of time you give up, the benefit is huge.

You feel like you're part of a team doing something worthwhile.

One day we could all be there.

It is so heart-warming to walk into someone's house

and know that you have really helped them out that day.

There's a lovely guy that I met on my round and he said,

"This means the world to me. This meal means the world to me."

His wife had died and...

I'm sorry. You just can't help but be touched by people.

The fact that you've brought them a hot meal,

it's not that big a deal, it takes an hour out of my day,

but it means THE WORLD to him.

'Meals On Wheels does deliver a difference, not just to our Grans and Granddads,

'but to the volunteers, too.

'That's the message we're going to ram home at our gigantic Meals On Wheels volunteer drive tomorrow.'

There are many ways to help this wonderful cause.

Log onto the BBC website for all the information you need

to help older people in your area.

Go on, man. Give it a go!

'It's the big day - pie day!'

-This is it, dude.

-It's all very quiet now.

Hopefully, in four or five hours, it'll be buzzing with people.

The big volunteer push. Come on!

Two things could go wrong. One is that we don't get people turning up.

The other one is that they don't pledge.

-The importance of today is pretty epic.

-Oh, yeah.

Today, we need names, commitment on paper.

It's simple. They get fed if they pledge. We don't want money. We want their time!

Come on. It's nearly eight o'clock.

'Time for the final preparations. First job is getting the humungous shepherd's pie in the oven.'

It's more like Prime Suspect than cooking!

We've got two minutes to get the patient in the oven!

Check they're still breathing!

'Our shepherd's pie is 1.3 metres long and weighs a whopping 54 kilos.

'We're hoping it will entice 50 committed volunteers to our cause,

'enough to deliver meals to around 250 people.'

Big reveal. That's a pie!

One, two, three...

'Saatchi X have come up trumps, too.

'The new branding looks fantastic so we're using it everywhere we can.

'We're branding every meal sent out from the Meals On Wheels kitchen,

'introducing daily menu cards and today, using it to the max.

'The cake's getting branded-up, so is the pie

'and so are we!'

-Looking good.

-Hey, do you work out?!

I don't think this is going to fit me. Do they do "fat lads"?

It's a bit tight.

Come here.

-How are you doing, gang?

-We're ready to roll.

'We're turning our gigantic pie and cake into a Meals On Wheels,

'and parading around Elmbridge in one final publicity flourish.

'But we forgot to work out how to get them onto the lorry.

'The cake weighs a frightening 127 kilos,

'so we're roping in a forklift truck.'

Here we go. This is the crucial bit.

That's it. That's it.

Raise the forks now, mate, when you're happy. Nice and gentle.

Nice and gentle. Go on, Stu. Good lad.

-Support that bottom edge cos it looks...

-Got it!

CHEERING

'Next up, the giant shepherd's pie.'

Meals On Wheels deliver a difference!

All we need now is the people.

-It is the world's biggest...

-Meals On Wheels.

-Back of the net!

Like Meals On Wheels, you always have a main hot and a pud.

That's a standard we want to uphold, and it's cooked from fresh.

'A colossal Meals On Wheels and a great cause.

'If that doesn't get us noticed, I don't know what will.'

-Brooklands forever!

-CHEERING

Go up to Brooklands College, the world's biggest Meals On Wheels.

Free pie and cake! Sign up! Volunteer!

The world's greatest, biggest, largest Meals On Wheels!

Shepherd's pie and cake! You look hungry.

Come along to Brooklands College at two o'clock and we'll feed you.

'On the high street, a group of familiar faces, anxious for today to be a triumph.'

We want to sustain the service. It is very important. We wouldn't be able to without the volunteers.

The bikers have set themselves a huge challenge.

We'll have to see how many people turn up.

The world's largest Meals On Wheels.

-CHEERING

-Elmbridge Meals On Wheels!

Use it or lose it!

Take your fingers out your ears. Support Elmbridge.

I don't think he's going to come.

'We know everyone won't volunteer.

'This day is also about building up the profile

'and getting our message out to as many people as possible.

'We used all our contacts, calling in our biker mates from the Royal British Legion

'to make the event as big, brassy and as noisy as we can.'

CACOPHONY OF HORNS HONKING

-It is nerve racking.

-It is. Yeah.

Everybody's gone to such a lot of effort.

I mean, look, you can't make people turn up.

We're doing as much as we can.

The weather's on our side.

Will the local people support us? I bloody hope so.

'As we round the corner to the college, it's make-or-break time

'for our Elmbridge Meals On Wheels mission.'

-Here we go. This is the moment of truth.

-Please! Come on!

-Car park's full!

-Yes! That's a good sign.

-A good sign.

Oh, wow! We're all right.

That's a relief, man.

CHEERING

Hello!

Hey! Hello!

Fantastic!

Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the biggest Meals On Wheels ever!

-CHEERS AND WHISTLES

-Absolutely amazing.

There were two issues with Meals On Wheels when we started investigating it. One was the food.

We were also quite startled to learn

that deliveries are done by volunteers.

-And that's why you're here.

-CHEERING

We want to continue that very great British service of Meals On Wheels.

That meal and that interaction with the person that delivers it is massively important.

We need volunteers in the kitchen, to keep that fresh process going.

You pledge and you get fed. It's simple.

-Who's hungry?

-CHEERING

-It's open.

-Unveil the pie!

-Yes!

-Look at that!

'Today is proving that putting out the call for new volunteers in an original way gets results.'

-That's fantastic. Thank you.

-There we go! Yes!

Give us a kiss.

Mind the bay leaves. Thank you very much.

-The Brooklands cake!

-Thank you very much.

I never imagined Meals On Wheels would be under threat.

I expected it always to be there, so we're going to start delivering as soon as we can.

Maggie, you've pledged! Thank you, darling.

When I realised, I thought, "This is the time.

"Sign up when I'm able, because I might be there one day soon!"

Well done. Thank you.

Any raising of awareness of this type of issue really will help.

I never would have considered it, now I'm going to volunteer.

Come please, girls. Step up.

'The Meals On Wheels gang's here - Kim and Jane who run it for the council,

'and Mr and Mrs Philips

'and Mr Jenkins, who receive the meals.'

Here you've got a lot of people who are really interested

and look as though they are going to make a big difference.

Lovely and bright and cheerful. It makes you feel better.

We're getting our message across

that the service we're providing is vital to those people.

These guys have done a wonderful job. I'm quite moved that everybody's done it.

'What do our band of dedicated volunteers who deliver a difference across Elmbridge every day think?'

It's been fantastic.

Once people understood that it's not a massive commitment

and it gives an awful lot, it's a good thing to do.

It can only get bigger from here and move on to the next level.

Hello, gorgeous! How are you?

I think the Hairy Bikers have done very well.

They're really sincere in their appeal for volunteers.

Thank you.

Love the logo on the shirts! I just think it's great.

Lots of people have pledged support, so couldn't ask for more, really.

'We've got our message out to hundreds of people,

'launched our new Meals On Wheels identity

'and exceeded our volunteer target, signing up 64 new recruits

'who will be able to deliver meals to over 300 people.'

Today, everything began to come together.

People were here for one cause, Meals On Wheels, delivering a difference.

We were proud of what we've achieved so far.

Then we get that level of affirmation.

You've got the volunteers, boys. Yes!

Well done, mate!

Charge!

'As Elmbridge continues the push to deliver delicious fresh meals

'and keep volunteers rolling in,

'we go national, heading to Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire...'

Isn't Yorkshire great?

'..to try and start a Meals On Wheels service from scratch.

-'But can our naked ambition...'

-Anybody for a potato salad?

'..inspire an entire community to rally round and deliver a difference

'proving it's possible to save Meals On Wheels?'

If we can't deliver Meals On Wheels once a week for the rest of our lives, it'll be a poor do.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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